Elf BB Cream SPF 20 Review: Ingredients, Before & After

BB creams are a great option if you want to have better-looking skin without looking like you have something on your face. While I have preferred wearing foundation for years, I appreciate the natural look more and more as time goes on. Elf BB Cream is a product I have heard many positive reviews about, so I decided to test it myself.

What Does It Offer?

Elf BB Cream is an affordable product that will make your skin look flawless yet natural and weightless. This BB cream foundation is supposed to be very blendable, with the SPF 20 to protect you from damaging sun rays.

Everything is formulated to be good and healthy for your skin. This BB cream is hydrating, with anti-aging properties. The product is very sheer, so it comes with six shades that cover most skin tones.

What Is the Product Like?

Elf is the brand we all already know for its high-quality products and affordable price. This BB cream price is less than $10, which is half the price of most other vegan BB creams. This alone is a reason most people would want to test it.

Of course, the first thing everyone notices is the packaging. Elf is known for its simple packaging, and this BB cream is no different. The packaging is black, with white letters and a line that shows the foundation shade. The product is pumped out, so it is very hygienic and not as messy as some other Elf products with standard lids. However, this does make it look a bit cheaper than a lot of other BB creams. Unfortunately, sometimes the pump is a bit flimsy, and it can get stuck in the transparent plastic lid. This made me pour the product in my hand rather than using the pump.

The next thing I noticed that almost turned me away from this product altogether, is its strong scent. It smells like a strong men’s perfume. The fragrance isn’t listed on the ingredient list, so I can’t determine exactly what it smells like.

Elf BB Cream is very sheer, so it should fit most skin tones despite there being only six shades. Still, I would love there to be more shades, especially when it comes to deeper tones. In fact, such a bad shade range surprised me, as Elf usually has more variety. The product is just opaque enough to cover some of your flaws but sheer enough for your skin to shine through. This gives your face a natural look without becoming cakey. I have dry skin, and this product doesn’t accentuate dry patches or any flakey regions on the skin. It’s creamy and dries with a satin finish instead of being glowy or matte. It will brighten the skin without covering your face or changing its color.

The Elf BB Cream wears well throughout the day. It will fade a bit after some time, but it isn’t too noticeable. For example, my freckles and under-eye circles become noticeable after three to four hours, but keep in mind I tested it without any concealer or powder foundation. If you used setting powder, it would probably last for an entire day. This way, it lasted a bit longer than six hours. Even then, my face looked better than without any makeup, but not good enough. A six-hour wear without any setting or primer is quite a lot even for a foundation, let alone a BB cream.
This BB cream will cover up most of your facial flaws, but keep in mind it is still fairly sheer. While it will make your face look better and fresher, you will have to use concealer if you want to hide dark circles, blemishes, or any red spots. I find that it looks the best with some concealer and matte setting powder – but you can choose a different finish if you prefer.

This product also works great as a base for foundation. It also has an SPF 20, so it can provide additional protection for your face. Of course, this doesn’t make it a sunscreen, and you should still use sun protection during summer. Because the product is so sheer, it doesn’t have any flashbacks on photography.

Ingredients

The product is enriched with many ingredients that are good for skin hydration. This includes Aloe, Cucumber, Vitamin E, and Jojoba. This is what makes it feel so fresh on the skin. It has an SPF 20, but sadly it isn’t natural sun protection. Instead, it uses ingredients such as Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Titanium Dioxide, and Cinoxate, so this product isn’t entirely organic. Other than that, I didn’t find anything worrying about the ingredient list.

Is It Vegan And Cruelty-Free?

Elf is a PETA-certified brand, which proves that it really is cruelty-free. None of its products, formulations, or ingredients isn’t tested on animals. Also, Elf doesn’t sell any of its products in countries where animal testing is mandatory by law. This makes it a true cruelty-free brand.

Also, Elf is a 100% vegan brand. All of its products are entirely vegan-friendly and don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products. The same goes for Elf BB Cream, which is a vegan product.

Conclusion

All in all, I have a bit of a mixed feeling about Elf BB Cream. It is a fairly good BB cream, especially considering the price and its vegan status. It does what it’s supposed to do and gives your face a nice, natural look without looking cakey. It is good for my dry skin, but I think it wouldn’t last long on oily skin. It doesn’t cover most imperfections, but this is expected from BB creams. Still, I would prefer it if it lasted longer, and I find the smell rather repulsive.

Overall, this is a good BB cream, especially if you’re looking for affordable vegan products.

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